Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-01-15

~ '~'jit,!!'
Ii a.,p.-yed that the bottle did not contain
us-.,araiic:!ie but had lately been filled i'll a
tavern near Tres Pines by an 1rishman who
sold bad American whisky under that pleas
ing Castilian title. Nevertheless, Concho had
already nearlv emptisd the bottle, and 1t fell
back against the saddle as yellow and fiaccid
as his own cheeks. Thus REINFORCED, Concho
turned to look at the valley behind him, from
which he had climbed since noon. It was a
sterile waste bordered here and there by ara
bic fringes and valdas Of meadow land, but In
the main dusty, dry and forbidding. His eye
rested for . moment on Q low, white cloud
line on tbs eastern horizon, but 80 knocking
and u~nsuhstantiL that it seemed to come aud
go as be gassd. concho struck bis forehead
and winked bis hot eyelida. Was It tho Sierras
or the cursed American whisky'
Again herecommencedth the ascent. Attimes
the half-worn, half-invizbls trail became ut
terly lost in the bare black out-crop Of the
ridge, but bis sagacious mule soon found 1t
again, until, stepping upon a loose tow'der.
she slipped and fell. In vain Concho tried TO
lift her from out the ruin of camp kettles.
prospecting pans and picks; sho remained
quietly recumbent, occasionally raising her
head as II to contemplatively glance over the
arid plain below. Then he had recourse to
useless blows. Then he essayed profanity of
a secular kind, such as "Assassin," "Thief,"
2Beast with a pigs head, !" "Food for the Bulls
Horns" but with no effect.
HN.a~ 10 hoi vono,,ven ~ tho oa,eoo arc1ooiAu.
tic: aAh, Judas I~scariot! is it thus, renegade
and traitor, thou leavest me, thy master, q
league from camp and supper waiting9 stealer
Of the Sacrament. get up!"
Still no effect. Concho began to feel un-
easy; never before had a mule Of pious line
age failed to respond to this kind Of exhorta-
ton. He made one more desperate attempt:
aAh, defler of the atari lie not there!
Lookr he threw his hand into the air, extend
ing the fingers suddenly. "Behold, Gendl I
exercise theel Hal tremblestl Look but u lit
tie now-see! Apostatel -I-excommuni-
cate thee-Mula"
what are you kicking up such a devil Of
row down there for9'' said . gruf voice from
the rocks above.
Concho shuddered. Could it be that tho
devil was really going to fly away with his
mule. He dared not look up.
sCome now" continued the voice, syou just
let up on that mule, you d old Greaser.
Don't you see she's slipped her shoulderP
Alarmed as Concho was at the information,
be could not help feeling to a certain extent
relieved. She was famed, but had not lost her
standing as a good Catholic.
He ventured to lift his eyes. A stranger
an Americana from his dress and accent
was descending the rocks toward him. He
was q. slight-built man with a dark, smooth
face, that would have been quite common
place and inexpensive but for his left eye, in
which all that was villainous in him ap-
parently conferred. Shut that eye, and you
had the features and expression of III or
binary man; cover up those features, and the
eye shown out like Eblis' own. Nature had
apparently observed this too, and had, by a
paralysis Of the nerve, ironically dropped the
corner Of the upper lid over it like q curtain,
laughed at her handiwork, and turned him
loose to prey upon the credulous world.
"What are you doing heres" said tbt
stranger after no had assisted Conrho In
bringing the mule to her feet, aud . helpless
halt.
S~Prospeoting, Senor."
The stranger turned his respectable right
eye toward Concho, while his left looked
unutterable scorn and wickeirsss over the
landscape.
prospecting, what fort"